’A quiet and gentle way!’ his wife exclaimed. ’I will take no way with her at all—not I! I’m not going to have any responsibility of the kind. Back she goes to the Highlands at once—that’s all the way I mean to take with her. See, there’s a letter I’ve written to mother.’ ’Then you mean to make a hash of this affair amongst you,’ said he, with calm resignation. ’You will merely drive the girl into a corner; and her pride will keep her there——’ ’Oh yes, men always think that women are so easily persuaded,’ his wife broke in. ’Perhaps you would like to try arguing with her yourself? But, any way, I wash my hands of the whole matter. I shall have her packed off home at once.’ ’I don’t think you will,’ the husband said quietly. ’I was going to tell you: the Lauders are giving a big dinner-party on the 27th—that is a fortnight hence; and here is an invitation for the three of us; and Frank Lauder as good as admitted this morning that the thing was got up for the very purpose of introducing Meenie to the old folk. Well, then, I have already written and accepted; and I will tell you this—I’m not going to offend the old gentleman just because you choose to quarrel with your sister.’ ’Quarrel?’ she retorted. ’Oh yes—she never can do any wrong. She has made a fool of you with her pretty eyes—as she does to every man that comes to the house. Why, they’re like a set of great babies when she’s in the room; and you would think from the way they go on that she was the Queen of Sheba—instead of the ill-tempered little brat she is.’ But Mrs. Gemmill was a sensible woman too. ’Of course we can’t offend the old people. She’ll have to stay. But as soon as that is over, off she goes to the Highlands again; and there she can stop until she has recovered her senses.’ However, this invitation was but an additional grievance. She went with it at once to Meenie’s room. ’Look at that. Read that.’ The girl glanced at the formal note—with no great interest. ’Do you know what that means? That was meant to introduce you to Frank Lauder’s family and friends.’ ’I do not wish to go,’ Meenie said perversely. ’But you’ll have to go, for we have accepted for you. We can’t offend and insult people simply because you are bent on making a fool of yourself. But this is what I want to say: I had intended sending you back to Inver-Mudal at once; but now you will have to stay with us another fortnight. Very well, during that time I forbid you to have any communication with that man, of any kind whatever—do you hear?’ She sate silent. ’Do you hear?’ ’Yes, I hear,’ she said. ’Well?’ ’Very well.’ ’But it is not very well,’ the elder sister said angrily. ’I want to know what you mean to do.’ The answer was given with perfect calmness. ’I mean to do precisely as I have been doing. I am not ashamed of anything I have done.’